Electric snap-switch.



R.'J. BARBER u V.`DURBIN.

ELECTRIGSNAP SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED Nov.1s, 1909.

1,003,391. Pannted sept 12 [911 529-4 /////////,/l /fe zazifzessea fn uen 1071;.

l it;

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

RAYMOND J. BARBER, OF BELMONT, AND VERNON DREI, OF EROOKLINE, MASSA-CHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS To GLOBE EAR-PHONE oOMPANY', OF BOSTON, MASSACH-sETTs,A CORPORATION OE MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC SNAP-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Iatent. Patented Sept. I2, 1911. Applicationfiled November 18, 1909.

Serial N0. 528,733.'

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, RAYMOND J. BARBER and VERNON DURBIN, citizens ofthe United. States, and residents, respectively,-of B elmont, inthecounty of Middlesex, Stateof Massachusetts, and of Brookline, in thecounty of Norfolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvementin Electric Snap-Switches, of which the following dcscription, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, likeletters on the drawings representing like parts. Our invention, whileadapted for general use, is primarily intendedfor use in situationsrequiring an exceedingly small device, as on an ear-phone cord, asurgical lamp, and the like.

To this end our invention comprises two relatively movable parts, one ofwhich is arl ranged to rock with relation to the other, and providedrespectively with the comple-l mental parts of any convenient snapswitchders perfectly practicable.

Figure l showing the rocking bar in side elevation; Fig. 2 beingasectional view of the complemental member; Fig. 3 being a sideelevationof the parts together; Fig. 4 being a central horizontal sectional viewof the complemental or base member; Fig. 5 a similar view showing adifferent winding, and Fig. 6 a cross sectional view, line 5 5 of Fig.5.

As above stated, one principal advantage of our invention is itspracticability for eX- ceedingly small sizes, our invention rendering itentirelypracticable to construct the .device much smaller than shown inthe drawings. The base block or relatively stationary member 1, in thepreferred construction of the drawings, comprises a shell or body 2 ofinsulating material or any con# venient substance, having one or moreopenings 3, 4 in its ends for the passage Of the circuit wires, andpivotJ holes 5 in its oppoSite sides 6 for the rocking member, andcontaining one part 7 of the make-and-break device, which preferablyoperates subst-an'- tially the same as ain ordinary glove fastener orball and socket joint, and may accordingly consist of any of such wellknown devices, being herein Shown as secured rigidly 4 in position by ascrew Sand provided with Spring circuit-closing jaws 9, 10. At theopposite endof the member 1 is a Similar device 12, only one of these,however, being Ordinarily actually used in the electric circuit, theother being provided merely as a holding device, for thebetter-operation of the switch. A rocking bar v13 coperaties with therelatively stationary member 1 and is herein shown as comprising a shell14 formed as a protecting hood adapted to fit down over the shell 2, thetwo shells being otherwise similar excepting that the shell 14 has itsopposite ends raised sufficiently to Apermit of its having the requiredrockin movement. A pivot rodor rivet 15 joins the two shells permanentlytogether, bein surrounded by an insulation bushing l on which is mounteda relatively stationary conductor bushing or covering 17, to which lmaybe soldered or otherwise secured one of the. circuit wires 18, the othercircuit wire 19 bein-g shown as simply passing through the switch, in atone opening 4 and out at the other 3 (when used, for instance, on thewires of an ear-phone). A conductor wire 2O connects from the conductorsleeve 17 to the adjacent complementary member 21 of the activemake-and-break device, said member 21 being rigidly secured` to' dependfrom the under side of the rocking bar 13. A

similar dummy device 22 is Similarly proA vided at the opposite end ofsaid rock-ing memberto cooperate with the member 12. A circuit wire 2Ris connected to the lower member 7 of thev active make-and-break de viceto continue the clrcuit onward 1n conpass directly through the switch asshown in tage of affording a practical construction Fig. 4, acorresponding wire 24 is secured vdirectly to the member' 7 -of themakefandbreak device, the rocking member 13 ofthe switch being arrangedthe same as shown in Fig. 1.

Enom the above description, it will be obvious to those skilled in theart that the switch may be made Iin practically any size desired, evendown t0 a very small size, and

yet ibe perfectly safe, operative and practi.

cal. l

In use, if the switch is closed, so that the cooperating members 21 and7 are interengaged as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the right hand end of themember 13 will then he in upwardly tilted position as shown in Fig. 3,whereupon the operator, to open the switch, simply presses the righthand ends together,

notches 25 in the lower edge of the shell or inclosing part 14 beingprovided to straddle the wires so as to permit of the desired rockingmovement. The resistance o'ered by the interlocked switch parts 9, 10,21 causes the releasing movement to be sudden, after the well knownmanner of snap switches, and the parts 12, 22 then snap together insimilar manner to hold the switch open. When it is desired to close theswitch, the operator grasps the then. separated left hand ends of theswitch, and

presses them together, the members' 12, 22(

offering the same resistance to this closing movement that the members9,' 10, 21 offered to. the opening movement, the result being that theclosing is sudden to the same extent and for thel same reason that theopening was sudden.

As already intimated, our invention is not restricted to the preciseconstructional details herein shown. Besides the advanfor extremelysmall sizes of switch as w'ell as larger sizes, our constructionhas thefurther advantage of\being exceedingly simple and inexpensive tomanufacture and almost indestructible in use.l The easing, com.

' posed of the stationary and 'rocking memzbers 1, 13`may be cheaplystamped out or molded, while, as already stated, the makel:so

claim as new and Patent 1s,

and-break members 7, 21, 12and 22 may be,

if desired,'simply usual glove fasteners. l

Having described our invention, what we desire to secure byLetters 1. Aswitch, comprising twolongitudinal members pivoted together intermediatetheir ends for relative rocking movement, pairs of spring snap fastenershaving the elements thereof carried by said members at opposite sidesand remote from the pivot, said fasteners being mutually coperative andconstructed' to quicken the latter part of both the engaging anddisengaging movementi', and one of said fasteners having its elementsconstituting the terminals of a make-and-break mechanism.

2. A switch, comprising two longitudinally extendingniembers pivotedtogether intermediate their lengthI for relative rocking movement, arounded knob cai'ried by ene of said members, remote from the pivotpoint and constituting one electric terminal, and a'retaining springmember constructed to eo-act with said knob to yieldingly hold the.parts engaged and to quicken the disengaging movement, said springconstituting the other electric terminal.

3. A. switch, comprising two longitudinal members pivoted together for`relative rocking movement, said two members being provided witheoiiiplemeiitary poi-tions of a combination snap fastener and make-andbreak mechanism, one of said members being formed as a hood havingadepending portion tted over the other member to protect the same and thewo-rking parts.

4. A switch, comprising two longitudinal members pivoted togetherintermediate their ends for relative rocking movement, said two membersbeing provided with complementa'ry portions of a 'combination snapfastener and make and break mechanism,

'one of said'members being formed as a hood adapted to fit over theother member to pro- -tect the parts, said hood having its edges

